Like many of my fellow Americans, particularly those in the service movement, I was appalled to read where Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted in his recent New York Times op-ed, "It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation."

Give him credit for a novel approach: lecturing our nation while simultaneously ignoring its unique contributions to the world.

The fact is there is only one country motivated consistently by compassion and morality; one country that is exceptional in standing up for justice and selfless service; one country whose history, culture and circumstance has earned an indispensable role in the world.

From Herbert Hoover's herculean efforts to mobilize the massive resources needed to save Belgium following World War I, to the Marshall Plan to help Europe rise from the ashes of World War II, to our substantial aid efforts in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa today, the United States has always led the world in helping others – and not just in times of war.

When my father teamed with President Clinton back in 2005 to raise money and awareness for the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami, government officials in Thailand told him that the sight of two former political adversaries coming together could never happen in their country. Even more exceptional were the millions of Americans who donated two billion dollars in private donations -- and the thousands of Americans who donated time -- to help the tsunami victims rebuild everything from schools to fishing boats, to homes and lives.

President Putin might recall the 1988 earthquake in Armenia that killed 50,000 people, and the Soviet Union – for the first time since World War II – allowed foreign assistance.Leading the way were American relief organizations including AmeriCares and the Red Cross. The U.S. government helped to organize doctors, medical equipment and rescue teams.

The list of such American feats of kindness and generosity goes on. Why is this?

In a word: freedom.

From our very beginnings, we Americans have had the freedom to pursue happiness as we see fit. At the same time, we also recognize that with the blessings of freedom comes a clear responsibility to help others. Whereas the Russian parliament recently debated whether volunteers and their good works actually threaten to usurp the power of government, we Americans recognize the limits to government and its ability to solve problems. Moreover, we celebrate individual initiative -- particularly those initiatives directed to serve the common good.

Just two months ago, two American presidents met at the White House to present the 5,000th Daily Point of Light Award to an Iowa couple that sends meals to millions across the world. President Obama and my dad – two men from different parties, generations, and backgrounds – stood together to salute and encourage the 64 million Americans who volunteer and help their fellow man not because the government tells them to do it, but because it is in their heart to help others.

There are a growing number of Russian volunteers seeking to help others who could use similar encouragement from you, President Putin.

After traveling throughout our small but growing republic some 180 years ago, Alexis DeToqueville wrote that, "America is great because she is good." Those words ring just as true today. The United States is not perfect, but no nation is more generous or more principled when it comes to engaging the world around us.

It is emphatically not dangerous when freedom-and peace-loving people think of themselves as exceptional. To the contrary, it spurs us all to constructive acts of selflessness and service with the confidence that we are contributing to the greater good. That knowledge -- that we have the freedom and the power to help transform a part of our world -- is exactly what inspires millions of Americans, and spurs them to take time out of their own lives and invest it in helping others.

That's what makes us the kindest, the gentlest, and -- yes -- the most exceptional nation on this earth.